Cold Hearted
by SoraxSeph Lover
Summary: At first he was average, and at second glance he was still pretty average in the general's eyes, or so the man led on. It's tough finding love with Kairi and Riku fighting over the brunette too. Angeal and Genesis aren't making this any better. Everyone needs someone, even the cold hearted general, Sephiroth. Yaoi!
1. This Is Our Home Now, Get Use To Hell

Sora stared around the training facility with his two best friends, Riku and Kairi. There was nothing remotely significant to Destiny Islands here, not even a palm tree. There was nothing here but electricity, sweaty men, and bunch of people being dragged to the infirmary after surviving the meteor crash of Sora's home. Among them were Kairi's parents, but Riku and Sora's had yet to be found.

Several bodies were left unidentified.

"I really miss home," Kairi admitted. "I already hate it here, even if the president agreed to take us in..."

Riku sighed and crossed his arms. "Shinra's our home now. There's nothing left of the islands. We saw that first hand, remember?"

Kairi frowned and rolled her eyes. "But this is nothing like home…"

Sora's demeanor brightened. "Hey guys. Come on. We've made the best out of a bad situation before. We're the first key blade unit in Shinra Inc. That's gotta count for something, right?" No reply. "Well, we get to work with the SOLDIERS." Again, no reply. "The general, Angeal, and Genesis…," Sora tried again weakly. "At least try and stay positive. Just sitting there won't change a thing." He looked at Riku. "It won't make our parents come back." His gaze traveled to Kairi's. "And it won't make yours wake up anytime soon."

"Well when they at least find my parents, then I'll stay positive," Riku said. He uttered nothing else as he left the facility. He was upset. Kairi gave Sora a small smile before leaving too.

Sora sighed as he stood in the center of the training facility. Who was he kidding? He was just as upset as they were. There was nothing left of their home. But Shinra had offered them a place to stay, in exchange for their allegiance to the electric company of course.

"Mom, dad," he spoke up quietly. "I hope you're okay, wherever you are." He sulked and left the facility. There was a Shinra meeting to go to, or so he was informed. He walked with his head slumped and his hands in his pockets.

He had actually gotten lost on his way to –Where was the meeting supposed to be held anyway? He wished he had followed Riku and Kairi. After careful consideration, and a lot of asking around, Sora found the meeting room. He walked in, gave the president a hurried bow, and his signature grin. The man didn't seem to mind Sora as he nodded in return and ushered him to sit in the nearest available seat. Sora found one quickly at the long table, opposite of his best friends, Riku and Kairi.

He felt pairs of eyes on him throughout the meeting, but didn't bother looking around. He didn't want to know who they were. These men, some were much older than him, and some around the same age, but he didn't want to get involved with anyone at Shinra, not when Kairi and Riku were always fighting for him.

When the meeting was over, Sora stood and Kairi and Riku rushed over to him.

"I'm sorry for leaving you behind," Riku told him.

Kairi quickly nodded. "Yeah, me too. Are you okay? Did anyone try to, you know bother you?"

Sora chuckled and shook his head. "No guys. Please don't baby me. I'm not five."

She turned to Riku. "You upset him," she hissed.

Riku gave her a deadpanned stare. "Yeah, blame me. You upset him too. Don't act like you're so innocent."

"Guys," Sora called them. They weren't listening though and the SOLDIER and other high-ranking officers hadn't left yet, due to the scene in front of them. Sora tried calling them again with no avail. "Geez guys..."

"Is this going to be a common thing?" a man in a suit with a pony tail asked.

Sora peered up and shook his head. "I can't promise that it won't be, sir."

The man didn't seem the least bit interested in Sora, or his bickering friends, but his voice was pretty soothing. "I'm Tseng. The president has assigned me to help you with all your needs. Should a need come up, notify me immediately." He pointed at some other Turks. "If I can't be found, ask them, and they'll contact me. We'll try to get the three of you PHS's as soon as we can, but we're having a bit of a chaos today, due to the over fill at the infirmary.

He smiled, however fake it was. "Thanks..." As he turned to leave, he bumped into a chest. "Sorry," he murmured. He pushed past the unidentified stranger, not realizing it was the general, and walked out of the meeting room.

Sephiroth looked at the two remaining teens with little interest as Sora left. He tossed Angeal and Genesis a collected gaze, one that said he was ready to leave. It wasn't long before they exited the room, probably on their way to the training facility. Sephiroth caught a glimpse of Sora's retreating form as the short teen walked down the long corridor.

"He's interesting," Genesis told them slyly. "Cute to say the least and he's a key blade bearer. Sixteen, and he's even cuter than Cloud." There was a creepy hum in his voice. "I thought there was no one who could match Cloud's looks. A gift from the goddess…"

Angeal chuckled, but Sephiroth chose to remain silent. He wasn't going to admit that the boy was attractive. He was the general. He had a reputation to uphold and he wouldn't pursue the boy. People thought he was incapable of having a significant other anyhow, or a heart, so why bother?

He gave Sora a small once over before calmly heading to the training facility. No, he wouldn't pursue Sora. He was too much like Cloud.

Angeal and Genesis watched him before a plan began devising in their heads. Neither spoke to the other about what they were planning, but both wanted to find someone for their friend. Hey, everyone needs someone right? Even the cold hearted general, and Sora, his cheerful polar opposite, was there to help with that. What could go wrong?


	2. You're Less Cheerful Than I've Heard

Sora woke up the next morning with a small headache. He looked around the small room and saw nothing but white walls and Riku sleeping in the other bunk. He got out of bed and walked towards the wall where his bathroom was supposed to be… _Where's my bathroom?_ Reality began to sink in again. _This isn't my old room._ It's a Shinra room. _I share a bathroom facility with everyone else but the SOLDIERS now._ He collected his things and headed to the shower facilities.

After he was finished, he went back to his shared room with Riku and slumped on his bed. He needed something to make him smile, or at least something to do. He needed Zack. _I wonder what he's up too._ He walked out of his room and set off in search of his only SOLDIER friend in Shinra.

"Sora!" he heard a familiar voice call.

He turned to see Kairi. He waved at her as she approached. Some infantrymen passed by and stared at the small pair. They were intrigued by the young key blade wielders. "Hey," Sora greeted her. They walked slowly down the hall and Sora noticed that Kairi was blushing. "Something wrong?"

She said, "No," a little too quickly. Sora knew Kairi liked him, and Riku did as well. That's why when one of them would ask to date him, he always said no. He didn't want to be the center of interest for Riku and Kairi's arguments, so he decided to pick neither. He loved them both too much to pick just one.

"Where are you headed?" Kairi asked.

Sora shrugged and scratched the back of his neck. He didn't want to tell Kairi where he was off too. He just wanted to hang out with Zack, and Cloud, if they were there, alone. There was too much tension when he was with Riku and Kairi lately. "Just having a look around," he lied.

"Mind if I come with?" she asked him. She gave him a friendly smile, the smile that he couldn't say no to, except today.

He pressed his lips together and smiled. "Sorry Kai, but I kind of want to walk around alone. The president said the three of us won't have missions together that often, since there are heartless in multiple areas, so maybe we should get used to having some leisure time away from each other too…" _Please don't be mad._

When she frowned, he frowned, but her face soon brightened. "Alright, I get it Sora. I mean we can't be together twenty-four seven, right?" She gave him a hug. "I know you must be upset about everything that's happened, but it'll be okay Sora." She released him and placed her hands behind her back. "You've always got Riku and me to rely on. Don't forget that."

He grinned faintly. "I won't. I promise." Kairi said nothing else as she left Sora to venture around the facility. Sora watched her go down the corridor before he turned in the opposite direction and left.

* * *

His feet carried him far, and eventually he wandered into a room with multiple computers. "Cool," he whispered to himself. He glanced around and didn't see Zack. Oh well.

"You must be Sora," Lazard spoke behind him. Sora jumped and turned around with red cheeks. When he saw the three SOLDIERS that had followed behind Lazard, his face reddened further. Genesis, Angeal, and Sephiroth had curious expressions across their faces. Sephiroth seemed to be calculating the boy's shifty movement. _Is Sora nervous?_

Sora cleared his throat and avoided eyes with Sephiroth. The man's stare was scary and emotionless, almost as if he was daring anyone to greet him so he could use his seven-foot sword. "Uh…hi," Sora told them cheerfully. "I'm Sora." He held out his hand for each of them to shake.

Lazard's hand was normal. Genesis' hand was a little too delicate. Angeal's hand was warm, yet firm, like he was silently calling him friend. Sephiroth's gloved hand was oddly cold and foreign, like he was programmed to shake hands and not mean it. Sora held the man's hand longer than intended and began studying it. He seemed puzzled by the hand he held. The glove was warm, but something about it seemed cold, like his face. A small squeeze of the hand made him look up.

"May I have my hand back?" Sephiroth questioned him. A smirk grew on his face as Sora blushed. The teen let go, but his eyes never left Sephiroth's.

Lazard told the three of them that he needed to show them the location for their well-deserved vacation. Angeal and Genesis walked with Lazard to the computer screen behind Sora.

Sephiroth stepped but stopped when he and Sora were nearly touching shoulders. "You're from Destiny Islands?" he probed calmly.

Sora looked up at the man and nodded. "Y-yeah... And you're from, uh well..._here_." _Wow Sora, real nice. _Sora couldn't deny that he felt his stomach flip whenever the man spoke to him. It was a weird feeling, different from what he felt for Riku and Kairi. What he didn't know was that Sephiroth felt the same, but damn it all if he'd show it.

The man regarded him collectedly, though he was relishing in the fact that Sora was so nervous around him. He crossed his arms and peered down at Sora with an amused expression. "Yes, I'm from here. Is that a problem?"

Sora shook his head quickly and waved his hand. "No, no I mean… That's not what I meant." He averted his eyes and turned around so that he and Sephiroth were both facing the same direction. He looked at the computer screen, where Lazard was sitting in front of and Genesis and Angeal were hovering around.

Sephiroth watched the interest in Sora's bright blue eyes as he watched the screen. It didn't take long for Sora to look up at him and ask, "Where's that?"

Sephiroth was amused yet again, but didn't show it, causing Sora to shy away a bit. The man pulled out his PHS upon hearing a beep. "…Junon Beach," the man told him quietly.

Sora tilted his head. "Huh?"

Sephiroth pointed at the screen briefly before looking through his PHS. "The name of that beach area you see on screen, Junon Beach."

"Oh…" It grew quiet for a while between the pair when Lazard began speaking about the place. Sora seemed as if he wanted to leave, and almost looked like he would have, until he looked at Sephiroth. His urge to stay grew, though this was none of his business.

"What are you up to today Sora?" Genesis asked as he turned around.

Sephiroth gave the other a pointed look. Genesis was up to something. _Again Genesis?_

Sora shifted his weight from foot to foot nervously. "I was looking around and wondering where Zack was…"

Angeal turned to face him and crossed his arms. "Oh, you're friends with Zack? I should have guessed sooner. You two are both alike in certain aspects."

"I've been told you're usually cheerful and more energetic than this," Genesis told him bluntly. He raised his eyebrow at the boy."Where is the happy-go-lucky Sora I've been hearing about?"

Lazard cleared his throat and Sora scratched his neck. "I...I guess I'm a little home sick."

"Why not go to the beach with us?" Genesis suggested. A smirk appeared on his face when Sephiroth's brows lifted. _Genesis..._ Sephiroth gulped and gave a small glare to his friend, who chuckled in response. "How about it Sora?"

Sora bit his bottom lip and rubbed his arm as Lazard and Angeal urged him to say yes. Sora actually looked at Sephiroth for a green light, but the man turned his head away to hide his embarrassment. "Um, okay. Why not? I'll go with you guys." Genesis grinned slyly.

Operation Genesis was underway. Operation Angeal had yet to begin. "Can I invite Riku and Kairi?" ...And operation 'annihilate the two best friends' was underway for Sephiroth. He felt compelled to keep Sora away from them. Perhaps he just wanted the boy for himself. It wasn't a crime if he did. Was it?

* * *

**Me:** Second chapter posted! Please review. Please don't flame.


	3. So, Are We All Set?

Me: Thanks to anyone who's reading this story! XD

* * *

Sora bit his bottom lip in anticipation as he packed. The president was being extra nice to the three key blade wielders. I mean they hadn't even been on a real mission yet and he was allowing them to go on vacation with three SOLDIERS. What was the man's motive? He'd probably want something in return later.

Sora was excited, mainly because he would get to spend time with Sephiroth. _He can't be that heartless right? Everyone has a heart… I think._

When he was finished packing, he glanced over at Riku. He was packing hair products. To be specific, Shinra shampoo.

"Do you need _all_ of those bottles?" Sora asked. He scratched his chin with his index finger when Riku said 'yes.' "Okay…"

"So why are we going with them?" Riku suddenly asked. He zipped his luggage case and turned to Sora. "We don't even know them."

Sora shrugged and beamed. "We could get to know them. They seem nice."

Riku seemed to disagree. He crossed his arms and studied Sora. "Are you sure you're not just crushing on one of them?" _Better not be Sephiroth..._

Sora rolled his eyes and grabbed his luggage case. He was done with this conversation.

As he headed to the door of their shared room, Riku grabbed his hand. "So you make out with me under the Paopu tree, and then that same day you kiss Kairi in the cave. And now you're just pretending that none of it ever happened?" He scoffed at Sora. "What you found a new crush, so we don't matter? Not that you weren't just leading us both on anyway." Sora jerked his hand away from Riku, but Riku blocked his path when he tried to pass. He glared at Sora. "Why did you kiss her that day when you said you loved me?"

Sora sighed and actually scowled at Riku. "I didn't kiss her. She kissed _me,_ and if you had of stayed eavesdropping longer than half a second, you'd know that I never kissed her back." Sora watched as guilt washed over Riku's face. He walked around Riku and tiredly rested his forehead and forearm on the door. He tapped the door with his fingers with a new found rage. "...That day she told me she loved me, just like you did. I thought that I loved you too, but then I realized that I was in love with Kairi. I was in love with both of you. I still am… For that reason, I didn't choose either of you, and I _won't_ ever Riku. You're my best friends and I don't want to choose."

"So you'd hurt us both by choosing someone else?" Riku asked harshly.

Sora straightened up and opened the door. _That's all he got out of that?_ "No matter what I do, you and Kairi will always find something to complain about something." He slammed the door on his way out. He didn't cry because he didn't want to cry around these foreigners. But Kairi and Riku were never going to be satisfied, even if he did choose one of them someday. They rarely had decent conversations anymore because it always led to that.

Sora walked with little purpose to the aircraft facility. His mood was shattered. _Maybe my day will get better…_ He stopped and did an about face. The president was being extra nice to them, even bought them everything they asked for. Maybe he'd give me a private room if I asked. Kairi has one.

* * *

Sora crept up to the office and knocked.

"Come in," a voice ordered.

He opened the door to see the president and Sephiroth. Sora was in too bad a mood to care that his stomach was flipping again.

"Sora," the president called him. The man grinned gruffly. "What can I do for you?"

Sora's eyes lingered on Sephiroth before he looked at the president. "I want a private room."

The man seemed intrigued. Sephiroth did too and Sora tried to keep his eyes trained on the man at the desk. "Is something wrong?"

Sora shrugged absently. "I just…" His stare traveled to the floor awkwardly. "I would like my own room sir, if it's not too much trouble." Sora peered up to see both eyes on him. _Don't blush. Don't blush._

"It'll be ready by the time you get back from your vacation."

Sora's face brightened. "Really?!" The man told him yes. Sora went around the desk and hugged him, causing both men to give him an astonished look. Sora cleared his throat and let go of him as he walked back around the desk and grabbed his luggage case. He bowed. "Thank you sir!"

"You're quite welcome," the man told him. He turned to Sephiroth. "You two should both be going now. Reeve and the others are done with flight preparations."

"Yes sir," both Shinra employees said.

Sora and Sephiroth left the office. As soon as Sephiroth closed the door, he gestured for Sora's large case. "Would you like some help?"

Sora felt his cheeks get hot and quietly handed the man the large case. "It's heavy…"

The SOLDIER smirked and lifted it. It was heavy to the average person, but not a SOLDIER. It was cute that Sora thought the man would have trouble with a luggage case. "It's almost as big as you, but I think I can manage." Ah, what dry humor.

Sora gave him a longing once over before he shook his head. _Snap out of it._ "Where's your luggage?"

"I've already loaded my things," he said simply. "There was a matter I had to take care of afterwards."

"Oh…"

He gave Sora a once over of his own when they began walking. Sora's mood had done a one-eighty since he had arrived in the office. He blankly probed, "…Why did you want your own room? Are you and your boyfriend fighting?"

Sora choked on air, and they both stopped in the hallway. "Wh-what?!"

Sephiroth patted his back quickly and chuckled lightly. "I was joking."

Sora gapped at the man and relished in the feel of his hand on his back. "Oh… Well if you must know, Riku will never be my boyfriend, ever. He's…he just can't be…"

Sephiroth shifted his head to the side and crossed his arms. "Is that why two are fighting?"

Sora gave the man a small pout. "Is it that obvious?"

Sephiroth nodded and studied Sora. "He worships the ground you walk on, Kairi too…" They shared a brief smile and Sora sucked in his bottom lip. He shyly picked a spot on the floor to stare at. Sephiroth wasn't one to make friends easily. Everyone was too afraid to talk to him. He only liked socializing with Angeal and Genesis, and occasionally Hollander, but Sora… He was just so inviting. _He's just a boy, barely sixteen. What would that look like? Your reputation would be gone..._

Sephiroth decided it would best not to get too close to Sora. Sora shouldn't be wasting his time getting to know him either. There was nothing to know besides the fact that he was taciturn.

"Should we go now?" Sora asked him. Sephiroth had been musing to himself. When he looked down at the bright, sky blue eyes, he knew he couldn't stay away from Sora. That decision to stay away was shut down now. He secretly craved to see those eyes on him at all times. He needed Sora's affectionate attention. _Shit._

He nodded and they both went to the aircraft facility.

* * *

Genesis and Angeal were already there, so were Riku and Kairi. Riku looked pissed and Kairi seemed as if she was trying her hardest not to be upset about seeing Sora arrive with Sephiroth. The man was carrying his luggage. He would never do that for anyone else. Sora was his only exception. _I'm still wondering why..._

Riku watched as Sephiroth went over to a cadet and ordered that Sora's luggage be put away. "That your crush?" Riku guessed maliciously.

Genesis shot Angeal a brief stare. They didn't want Sora and Riku to spend the whole time fighting, not when they wanted Sora focused on Sephiroth.

"Stay out of my business," Sora told him seriously. "I don't need this right now, Riku."

If Riku was pissed now, he'd be really pissed off when he found out that Sora wasn't sharing a room with him anymore.

"Sora," Kairi called him. She fiddled with her fingers and gave him a hurt look. "Are you okay?"

He gave her a confused look. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

She pointed at his face. "You're crying."

Shoot. He wiped the stray tear away quickly. "Sorry, I hadn't noticed." Riku seemed a little guilty about that, just a little. _Sometimes I wonder if Riku's the heartless one._

When they all got ready to load, there were three seats in the middle of the aircraft with three seats in front of them. The seats in front were facing the other three, like train cart seats. Riku and Kairi boarded first.

Sora looked at the steps and knew that if he got on now, he'd end up sitting in-between Riku and Kairi. Genesis forsaw this and he walked fluidly past Sora and boarded the aircraft. He turned before entering and winked at Sora.

Sephiroth face palmed as Angeal lifted the boy out of his way and boarded as well. Sora boarded shortly afterwards, with Sephiroth behind him. When he observed the seats, Genesis was sitting in-between Riku and Kairi. Angeal had a window seat on the opposite three seats in front of them.

Sora eagerly sat down in the middle, still feeling awkward with his two best friends glaring, but loving the fact that he was going to be sitting beside Sephiroth. Sephiroth closed the door and sat down beside Sora, right next to the window. He was ecstatic that Riku was glaring at him right now. He was first to have the balls to do that. He was secretly commending the teens bravery, but if he wanted Sora, he would have to beat Riku to get it. He didn't mean strength wise either.

He tossed Riku an amused grin and then casted Kairi a gaze. She wasn't much competition. Sora would choose a male before he would a female. He was sure of that.

He pulled out his PHS upon hearing a beep, and Sora seemed intrigued. "What's that do?"

He looked down at Sora as the teen leaned over his shoulder. His cheek was almost touching his shoulder. Good thing he decided against using those shoulder guards today. "It's a form of communication." His sensitive hearing picked up on a growl when Sora's hand lowered his arm to get a better view of the device.

Genesis and Angeal held back their laughs at Riku. Kairi was wondering when Sora and Sephiroth had gotten acquainted with each other in the first place. _Sora doesn't like him, does he?_

Sora pushed a button and the screen lit up to Sephiroth's personal messages. His radiant eyes enlarged with curiosity as he leaned further over the man's shoulder. He found many conversations on there from Genesis and Angeal.

Reading the messages was a way for Sora to get to know more things about Sephiroth without having an awkward conversation. Some messages were friendly ones and some concerned ones. He was a true friend to Genesis and Angeal. Sora found out that the man wasn't as serious as he led on either. Well he had a sense of humor. It was dry, but there. _That counts for something._ He was glad the man didn't shy away when he started searching through the PHS.

Sora asked the man at least fifteen questions about the PHS, and Sephiroth answered all of them coolly.

Sora hadn't realized when he had started doing this, but he felt his head was resting. It was resting on Sephiroth's arm. _He smells nice…_ Some of Sephiroth's hair had fallen onto his spikes. Sora reached up and stroked it. It felt like silk. _Wow, it's so smooth!_ He quickly let go of the strands when they both connected eyes. Sora smiled before he shut his eyes. He was worried that he was getting the man aggravated. "I hope I'm not bothering you too much…"

Sephiroth cleared his throat, feeling flabbergasted for the first time in a long time. "Not too much..."

Sora nodded. "Good…" He yawned and began blushing in his sleep. _I hope I don't have a wet dream… That'd be embarrassing._

Sephiroth couldn't help but gaze at Sora while he slept. He really didn't like people on him, or near him. In fact, he wouldn't mind pushing people off if he needed to. But he'd never do that to Sora. It was Sora. The teen was far too nice for his own good, much to the man's annoyance. Yet it's what made Sephiroth want to get to know him. _Damn it all… _His PHS went off again and he checked the message. It was from Zack.

It read: You guys left me here! Why isn't Angeal answering me? I'm bored! Everybody's out on missions but _ME_!

He smirked at the screen and Sora lifted one eyelid. He looked at the screen in Sephiroth's hand and laughed. Sora's laugh was beautiful and Sephiroth couldn't help but gulp at the thought he was having. Sora affected him _that_ much?

"Angeal," Sephiroth called him. "I think you should have invited your puppy." Angeal pulled out his PHS and checked his messages. It probably wouldn't be long before Zack came along. Ah, what a joy it is to have Zack Fair around.

...Thanks for reading so far!...


	4. I Promise, To Teach You How To Love

Sephiroth sat in a beach chair with Genesis and Angeal on his right and left. They were in their respective chairs too. A large umbrella was placed over them to block out the radiating heat. Sephiroth was pale, and even with sunscreen he felt the rays getting to him, so he preferred to stay under the comfort of the umbrella. _God damn rays..._

He was watching Sora and Zack play volley ball with Kairi and Riku. Sora seemed to be enjoying himself and even tried to sneak a few glances at him. This made Sephiroth's ego escalate of course, because even though Sora wasn't with him, he was thinking about him.

"…Have you spoken to the president?" Genesis asked him. The man sipped his tropical beverage and fiddled with the straw. "He's being awful nice these days, especially to Sora…"

Genesis watched as Sephiroth's face grew troubled. "I've noticed…," Sephiroth murmured. _But why?_ The three of them watched Sora and Zack cheer in victory when Kairi missed the ball. Kairi kicked the sand and fixed her hair. She was pissed, and not at Sora, but Zack. He was the one that hit the ball so hard.

_It's like he's on steroids,_ Kairi thought. _Why are all SOLDIERS so strong?_

Riku however was determined to get Sora's attention. He didn't care that Zack was on Sora's team, because he was going to beat him, or so he thought.

* * *

"You broke my nose!" Riku hollered at Zack.

The SOLDIER backed away as Riku leered at him. "Hey, it was an accident!" Everyone was crowded around Riku and his bloody nose. Sora was amazed that a simple beach ball could break someone's nose. It wasn't normal, and neither was a SOLDIERS strength. As everyone began arguing and ordering Riku to either pull his head back or let the blood flow out, Sora wasn't as concerned as he thought he would be.

His blue eyes traveled to Sephiroth's and he glared at the general. He didn't know why he was mad at Sephiroth, but all of these shady Shinra secrets were just that, shady. They were secrets that he didn't know but wished to know, and judging from the severity of Riku's broken nose, he guessed it was a powerful secret. Still that didn't stop him from being curious.

He walked away from the group quietly and kept his eyes fixed on Sephiroth's. Sephiroth got the message and followed him. They walked in silence. When Sora entered a changing booth, Sephiroth stopped in front of it and his face began to redden. What was Sora up too?

Sora poked his head out and grabbed the man's arm. He pulled him inside and frowned.

Sephiroth's green eyes traveled down the pouting boys frame. His tanned skin looked perfect in those blue swim trunks and the skinny teen had muscles. _Who would've thought?_

When his eyes traveled back up, he looked into troubled, blue ones. "Upset?" he guessed calmly.

Sora crossed his arms and glared up at the man. Wow, he's tall. "What was that?"

The man inclined his head to the side. "What was what?"

"You know _what_," Sora hissed at him. He poked the man's chest and Sephiroth cleared his throat.

He felt the need to ask why the boy was molesting his chest and abs, even though he was enjoying it as Sora's smooth hands began feeling him up. "What are you doing?"

Sora looked deep in thought as he rubbed the man's skin. "Checking to see if you're human," he admitted. "You know, just checking for robot parts. So do you even bleed?" He looked up and grinned at Sephiroth's shocked face. _So he does have more than one expression…_

Sephiroth placed his pale hands over Sora's tanned ones. "I'm human Sora."

"I doubt it," Sora countered. He didn't remove his hands from the man's chest and Sephiroth didn't remove his hands from holding his. "Can you do that?"

"Do what?"

Sora huffed and frowned. "You know _what._"

"What, _what_ are you talking about Sora?"

Sora grabbed the man's hands and examined them. "Can you hurt someone without even trying, like Zack did? I know you're the legendary general, but I don't get what that means. I don't get what being a SOLDIER means. Do you get steroids or something for joining SOLDIER? Kairi, Riku, and I have only been to this world for a few days but we know that SOLDIER are important and that you Angeal and Genesis are like most important. We just don't know why..." Sora gave him pleading eyes. "So can you do what Zack did?"

_Far worse than Zack, Sora…_ "Yes," he replied coolly.

"How?" the teen asked. He released the man's hands and gave him a demanding stare. "Tell me…"

Sephiroth frowned and turned his gaze elsewhere.

"Can't you look at me when I talk to you?" Sora asked. His voice was annoyed and Sephiroth didn't like it. It was different from the cheery Sora he had gotten used to speaking with.

"Shinra has secrets Sora," he told him quietly. He rolled his shoulders and brushed his fingers through his silver hair. "If I were you, I wouldn't pry into the affairs of this company too much…" He looked at Sora to see the teen with a cocked eyebrow. "It's better to know less at Shinra."

Sora glared at him. "Why, are they afraid that you SOLDIERS will tell their secrets? What's so special about SOLDIER anyway?"

He glowered at Sora and folded his arms. He was pissed off. "Nothing, except for the simple fact that it was _SOLDIER_ who _rescued_ _you_ from your destroyed island," he remarked acidly. "And it was _SOLDIER_ who _brought you_ here to Shinra." Sora cringed at his tone as Sephiroth stared down at him. "It's SOLDIER who know the secrets of Shinra, and at the end of the day we'll forever be with Shinra."

"Why don't you leave then?" Sora snapped. He wasn't going to show that he was scared again.

Sephiroth gave him a sadistic smirk. He scoffed at the naïve teen. "You don't think we try?" His tone was quiet, yet threatening.

Sora gasped in surprise. "B-But–"

"You don't think any SOLDIER in Shinra wishes that they hadn't become one?" he asked in a punitive hiss.

Sora swallowed. "W-Why would you wish that?"

Sephiroth rubbed his temples and shook his head. He wanted Sora to understand without telling him the details. "Because we've seen what it's like to be SOLDIER. We know everything Sora, and it's not what you think. Once you know everything, that's it. You can't leave. Knowing less will save you in the end." He stressed that last line and Sora sucked in his bottom lip. Sephiroth thought the action was cute and placed his hand on Sora's face. He rubbed his cheek with his thumb inattentively and smiled dimly when Sora began blushing.

His anger was gone, replaced with sorrow and anxiety. He leaned down towards Sora, but stopped himself just inches from the boy's face. "Sora?"

Sora closed his eyes, inhaling in the scent of the man's minty breath. "Yes?"

"Don't ever join SOLDIER," he commanded him.

Sora frowned and opened his eyes. "But you're in SOLDIER… We could… be around each other more often…" He swallowed when the man developed a large crease in the middle of his forehead. "…right?"

Sephiroth stood up straight and removed his hand from Sora's cheek. He didn't notice the boy pout at the loss of contact. "Sora, I need you to promise me that if the president asks you to join SOLDIER, or anyone else, that you'll decline."

Sora didn't settle. He shook his head. "Why didn't _you_ say no?"

Sephiroth's eyes stayed focused on the entrance of the changing booth. The footsteps belonged to Kairi. "…I didn't have a choice." _But I want you protected…_

Sora reached up to touch his shoulder but slowly withdrew his hand. "I promise…"

Sephiroth didn't bother looking at him, even after Sora hugged him. He didn't hug him back either, and it bothered Sora. Sometimes, very rarely, the man could show him affection, but it was times like these when Sora received mixed signals.

…But slowly, yet surely, Sephiroth's left hand moved to Sora's back.

Sora grinned up at the man. "You're a big softy! You know that?"

Sephiroth seemed bemused as they looked into each other's eyes. "Don't push your luck Sora," he replied in a clipped tone. He was being demanding, but he really hoped that Sora would keep his promise.

Sora chuckled and it sent vibrations on Sephiroth's chest. Kairi opened the booth curtain and curled her lip. "What are you two doing in here?"

Sephiroth wanted to slice the girl in a million pieces, but decided to slice her emotionally instead. He bent down and very gracefully kissed Sora's moist lips.

Sora wasn't prepared and his breath hitched. Sephiroth allowed his tongue to explore the boys ever so delicately as Sora's face turned as red as a tomato. Sephiroth separated their lips after a brief time and Sora tried to bury his face in the man's sculpted chest. Sephiroth smirked at Kairi. "We were doing just that," he lied nonchalantly. Sora jerked his head up and bit at his bottom lip while he studied Sephiroth. _He kissed me! He really kissed me... Holy crap!_

Kairi appeared to be having a relapse of some sorts and fell onto the sand. Her upper torso fell out of the booth and her legs remained inside.

Sora's lips began opening and closing. He was so flustered.

"Are you feeling well?" Sephiroth asked him. He knew Sora was flabbergasted, but asked anyway.

Sora blinked repeatedly and shook his head. "No –I mean yes." He shook his head and licked his lips. He kept stuttering, much to Sephiroth's amusement. He finally gave up on speaking and rested his head on Sephiroth's chest again. "I don't know."

Sephiroth gave a low chuckle and released Sora. He stepped over Kairi and faced Sora once more. "Do you need some time to yourself?" he asked the teen.

Sora shook his head and followed after him. They both walked around Kairi and exited the booth.

Sora shyly grabbed the man's hand and looked away when Sephiroth stared down at him. Needless to say, they didn't let go of each other's hand when they joined the other SOLDIER and Riku.

Riku's nose was fully healed, thanks to the cure materia used by Angeal. Sora was too focused on the fact that Sephiroth was holding his hand to care about the glower Riku was giving him. He timidly placed himself closer to Sephiroth and rested his head against his arm. Sephiroth wasn't responding, but he wasn't exactly pushing him away either. He was bad at this whole touching business, but Sora would help him through it, or kill him with kindness.

Genesis and Angeal smiled at the perfect pair. They didn't even have to try their plans out. Operation Genesis ended in blowing up Riku and Kairi anyway, so it was probably for the best that it was dismissed.

"Where's Kairi?" Riku asked suspiciously.

Sora didn't even look his way when he pointed over his shoulder. "Back there…"

Zack followed Sora's thumb and burst out laughing. "I think she fainted!"

Riku's aqua eyes grew wide and he ran to go help her.

* * *

Sora spent the rest of the afternoon sitting next to Sephiroth in the large beach chair. His legs were propped over Sephiroth's and Sephiroth's arm was under Sora's arm, holding his hip. Sora was outspoken, but whenever Sephiroth spoke to him, he was shy and quiet. The man was intimidating.

Sephiroth didn't seem to mind as long as Sora was near him. Zack was under orders by his mentor to keep Riku and Kairi entertained for the rest of the evening.

Sora's only concern as the sun went down was that it was another day without his parents. He didn't know if they survived, but he had hoped they had. _Mom, dad, where are you?_

:)...Hello all! Thanks for reading so far! Review please! No flames please!...(:


	5. You Caught Me, Am I Punished?

**Author's note: Haven't updated this in a what feels like forever!**

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Sephiroth sat at his desk and rubbed his temples. He didn't realize how much paperwork would be waiting for him when he returned from his vacation. He also didn't realize that he'd be willingly in a relationship. It was strange in his eyes, how much affection Sora was showing him. Maybe it's just strange to me…

But despite Sora's public display of affection, Sephiroth knew the boy was hurting. The only problem was why…?

A light knock on his door caused his veins to pulse to the beat. He sighed and directed the person to come in. It was Cloud and Zack. Sephiroth knew Cloud had a crush on him, but the idea never crossed his mind, until Tseng pointed out something a few hours ago. Cloud looked like an older version of Sora, only paler and blonde. Cloud was age appropriate and Sora wasn't. That made a hell of a big difference to someone of his status.

"What is it?" he asked them briskly. He wrote something down quickly.

"Rough day?" Zack asked.

The man looked up. "What is it Zack?"

Zack whistled. "You seem pissy. I wanted to know if you wanted to catch lunch with us." He gestured towards him and Cloud. "We've got nothing to do and Angeal is away on an assignment with Sora right now. They'll probably meet us later though. So what'd ya say?"

His stomach gave a low rumble that only he and Zack heard. "Fine."

Sora was standing around with Angeal in the training room. They were just finishing up. Sora took off his electronic head visor and grinned. "How was that?"

Angeal gave him a thumbs up. "Not bad, Sora, but you've still got a long ways to go. Your techniques and movements are easy to predict."

Sora frowned and his key blade disappeared from his hand. He placed his hands behind his head. "Darn…"

Angeal ruffled the boy's hair as he passed by him. "That's enough for today." He walked through the doors of the training facility. "Sora, don't give up. Embrace your dreams."

Sora smiled lightly while watching the man go. "Okay…" He blew out some air and rubbed his shoulders. That was quite a workout. He hadn't seen Sephiroth all day, due to the man working. _Maybe he's in his office. I'll go see._

* * *

Sora traveled to the man's office, completely unaware of the strange man that was following him. He had made it off the elevator and down the hall before stopping in front of Sephiroth's office door. He knocked, but heard no one. He entered anyway and found the room empty.

_I'll just wait here until he gets back._ He sat in Sephiroth's office chair and spun in it before glancing at the computer screen. There were files, just sitting on the desktop of the screen, opened. Sora moved the paperwork scattered around the desk and shuffled it. He stacked them in the corner and grabbed the mouse, skimming through the first document on the screen.

"Profiles," Sora whispered. He minimized the profiles of some Shinra employees. He scanned the desktop icons, in search of more documents. A folder of employees was sitting in the corner of the screen. He clicked it and hoped that Sephiroth's file was there. It wasn't. His blue eyes scanned the list and he saw Genesis' profile. He clicked it.

"SOLDIER Genesis Rhapsodos," he murmured. He scrolled down to the SOLDIER's Bio. "Born in Banora… failed project G… what?" Sora knitted his eyebrows together. "Failed project G… G of what?"

He skimmed further through the Bio. "Degradation…?" He scratched his head. "What is Mako?"

He exited out of Genesis' file and clicked on Zack's. Zack's file was more up to date. It had multiple hospital visits, including Mako injections. He hummed in response and exited out. "Mako injections…?"

He clicked on a mission document and looked it over. He skimmed for the word Mako, and found Mako Reactor. He googled it immediately and Wutai popped up. A news article about Shinra appeared when he clicked on the website.

It read: 'Shinra attacks Wutai and declares the area under their control, with the help of their secret weapons, SOLDIER. No one has any idea of how these beings can actually produce all of this energy and power, but they can take down the strongest of men. Wutai's soldiers were no match for them, and ever since these men have been chosen to fight, Shinra hasn't lost a battle since. Shinra has placed a Mako Reactor in the depths of Wutai, which is environmentally unfriendly'

'This is the only reactor that we've been able to discover, but rumors are that Shinra has several. Some rumors are that the SOLDIER's are genetically mutated with this Mako, among other things. Shinra has yet to confirm these rumors, but we do know one thing, The Shinra Electric Company is no ordinary company. There are other powers at work…'

Sora's blue eyes scanned further and he clicked on another website. Mako Reactor popped up again. He read it over. "Shinra has declared war on Wutai to place a Mako reactor…," he trailed off.

"Angeal!" Sora heard Zack say from outside the door. He exited out of everything and went to a website called YouTube. He quickly clicked on a teens react video, just as the door opened. Sephiroth walked in, with Angeal, Zack, Cloud and Genesis.

Cloud looked at him blankly and Sora looked up at them from the computer. "Uh, hi…"

Sephiroth had some coffee in his hand and he walked around the desk. He smirked when he saw the video Sora was watching. "Teens and YouTube, never a good thing," he mused dryly. He met eyes with Sora, who flushed a little.

"H-how was your day?" Sora asked him. He picked a spot on the wall to stare at. Those green eyes were too much to handle.

Sephiroth placed his finger under Sora's chin and lifted the boy's head up. He kissed Sora, completely aware of Cloud's presence. He wanted to make sure that the kiss he shared with Cloud earlier didn't mean anything, and it didn't. It was nothing compared to Sora's lips… but then again, he still kissed Cloud, though Cloud had kissed him first. No one told Sephiroth to willingly return the favor.

Cloud silently fumed, but said nothing. Zack didn't know the severity of the situation; neither did Angeal or Genesis, since none of them had seen Cloud and Sephiroth's secret rendezvous. It happened discreetly in the men's room, and ended just as quickly.

Genesis smiled at the pair. "I think we should leave the two love birds alone."

The four of them left quietly and Sora stood, sucking in his now swollen lip. "I-I guess you want your seat back…"

Sephiroth grabbed Sora's hand to prevent him from moving.

_Oh no, I've been caught. He knows. He knows._ Sora swallowed. "Something wrong?"

"I…," Sephiroth started. He cleared his throat and seemed a bit embarrassed. "I kissed Cloud today…"

His green eyes scanned Sora's for any trace of anger, yet he only found one, relief. "That's good," Sora admitted with a relieved sigh.

"Good?"

Sora caught himself and shook his head. "No, I meant, I… Did you like it?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "No." It was the honest truth.

Sora nodded. "…I was snooping through your documents while you were gone," he blurted out.

The man didn't seem upset. "Is that all?"

He sat down and ushered Sora to sit in his lap. Sora did so and Sephiroth began fixing his paper work back ina messy pile.

"You're not mad?" Sora asked him. "I promised you I wouldn't get involved with this Shinra business."

Sephiroth nodded. "I'm upset, yes, but you should also be upset with me." He took a sip of his coffee and handed it to Sora. Sora drank from it and leaned against the man, nursing the cup in his hands. "I'm sorry, Sora, for what I did."

Sora shrugged. "I'm not really upset about that."

He and Sora met eyes. "Why not?"

"Because I still have you at the end of the day. It was just one kiss, wasn't it?"

Sephiroth told him yes. "It was just one document, wasn't it?"

Sora blushed and scratched his chin cutely. "Uh, maybe one or two…"

Sephiroth sighed and gave Sora a chaste kiss. He combed his hand through Sora's spikes. "If you know something, just play dumb, like Zack used to."

"And if you see Cloud, just pretend it never happened, like I'm about to do," Sora advised with a shrug.

"Agreed," Sephiroth told him quietly. He went back to doing his work and Sora grabbed some strands of his hair. He brushed his fingers through them and loved how Sephiroth's free arm was around his waist and his hand was placed on his thigh. It gave the boy a hard-on just thinking about it.

Sora thought of something else to keep his mind occupied. It wasn't long before he felt Sephiroth's length harden beneath him. He blushed and shifted a little.

"Am I bothering you?" he asked the man.

"Quite the opposite," Sephiroth admitted with a blush to his cheeks.

Sora placed a small kiss on the corner of Sephiroth's lips, and began giving the man butterfly kisses while he worked.

_If you don't stop that I might just rape you right here…_ Sephiroth closed his eyes and moaned as Sora licked his ear. "Sora…"

The teen smirked and nibbled at the soft earlobe.

...

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**Author's note: Idk if I'm adding my lemon scenes yet. Review, review, review! ;P  
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	6. Mission Introduction

Glancing at his reflection in the mirror, Sora felt a little embarrassed. There was no possible way to hide those marks on his skin, not without some makeup –none of which he owned. A taunting blush spread on his cheeks. A knock on his room door snapped him out of his musing.

He walked out of the bathroom, and called out, "Who's there?!" as he headed to the entryway.

"Kairi!" she shouted back.

Sora paused and grabbed hold of his jacket. He threw it on and pulled the hood so that it at least covered some parts of his neck. He opened the door and let Kairi in. The first thing she did was give him a once over before placing herself on his bed and closing her eyes. She looked exhausted. It wasn't like her to not have any pep in the mornings.

Sora shut the door and joined her. She didn't move, nor did she try and snuggle into him like she would have. It appeared she cared little about her crush on Sora today, given her comatose state.

Sora brushed some of her hair out of her face. "What's wrong Kai?"

"I don't know," she stated. "I felt fine yesterday. Today I feel like I ran into a brick wall."

"You look like you've got a hangover, but I know you don't drink." Sora squinted when he noticed that she had a wrap on her arm. "Did you get a cut or something?"

She hummed. "Not that I remember…" He frowned but she added, "You look pretty cute in nothing but jeans and a jacket by the way. It's a nice look on you. Keep it."

He rolled his eyes as he turned over with his back facing her. "Kai…"

She smiled, although he couldn't see it. "I'm sorry. I was only teasing." She yawned. "You know… he's good for you, Sephiroth I mean." Sora let out a low gasp, but didn't reply. "You actually smile more, like you did on the islands… If he can make you do that, something I've been trying to do since we got here, then I'm glad you're seeing him." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "As long as you're happy."

Sora took her hand and held it, his grin growing. He turned back over and kissed her knuckles. Kairi deserved to be kissed like a princess in Sora's eyes. She deserved more than he was giving her and he could never be her prince charming.

When he realized that he was going to cry he reached out for her and embraced her as if she'd vanish. She rested her head in the crook of his neck while he cried.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

She placed her hand on the back of his head, cradling it. "It's okay Sora."

His lips brushed over the skin on her neck as he spoke. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Kairi. I love you. I really do, but I can't–I don't–I'm–"

"It's okay…" His words caused her vision to cloud with small tears of her own. "I get it. You love me, but not the way I love you. I get it…" She rubbed his back and closed her eyes, feeling the effects of whatever illness she had taking its toll. "I get it… Does he make you happy?

"Yeah," Sora murmured against her neck. "He does…"

Those words were all Kairi needed to hear. "Then that's all that matters to me… Hey Sora?"

"Hm?"

"Did you really think that you could hide those love bites from me with a jacket?"

He pulled away from her and wiped his eyes. She did the same but both of them didn't leave the bed. "I don't have anything to hide them."

She rolled her eyes and grinned. "I've got plenty of cover up to help you."

Their smiles mirrored each other's. He took her hand again and kissed it again. "Thanks Kai." They both sat up. "Alright, now that I've had a good cry. I say we get ourselves something to eat. I'm starving, and breakfast in the cafeteria ends in about thirty minutes." To prove his point, both teen's stomach's rumbled.

* * *

Eating in the cafeteria was always awkward, not just for Sora, but Riku and Kairi as well. Unfortunately Riku wasn't there today, so eating with just Kairi caused more unwanted gossip to travel to the pair.

"They're raping us with their eyes," Sora whispered as he nibbled at his eggs.

Kairi kept her gaze trained on her tray and giggled. "I know."

When she looked up, Sora dropped his fork. "Kairi?"

She wiped at his face, as if he'd seen something on it. "What? Did I get it?"

He shook his head. "What's up with your eyes?"

"What do you mean?"

"The color looks gorgeous –not that they weren't perfect before but… What'd you do to get them to glow like that? Contacts?"

She touched the corners of her eyes and blushed when she realized that she was reason for the trio's cafeteria gossip today. "I don't know." She looked down at her empty tray and frowned. "I do know that I'm still hungry though."

Sora frowned when she got up to go refill her tray. Something wasn't right. From across the cafeteria, he saw Cloud and Zack staring at him. Zack gave him a friendly wave –classic Zack –but Cloud was trying slash him to pieces with his blue eyes. Sora waved back at Zack, but ignored Cloud, as usual. Avoiding the blond was best for everyone.

* * *

"I'm sending out units to excavate the Dwarf Woodlands in the east," the president said as he stood at the end of the table. Sora sat in between Reno and Zack, listening intently to the mission at hand, and occasionally making faces with his favorite male red head. He liked Reno and Zack the most out of all the Shinra employees. They were good people.

"And you'll all be assigned a key blade wielder to travel with you, in case a door needs to be unlocked, or heartless and nobodies are around."

Sora twirled his straw around in his cup while the man spoke. He hadn't gotten to talk with Sephiroth since he left his room early that morning, and the neutral stare that the man was giving him from across the table wasn't helping the matter. All the same, he wanted to travel with Seph. 'Nuff said.

"Riku, you'll be traveling with Sephiroth, Cissnei, and two second class SOLDIER's of your choosing." The last bit of his comment was directed at Sephiroth, who nodded in return. "I'm also sending some infantry men along with you."

Sora made a face at this news, and Zack whispered in his ear, "Are you pouting?" Everyone with super hearing tuned into Zack and Sora's every word, Sephiroth in particular, but all of them kept their gazes on the president.

Sora scoffed. "No, I'm frowning and making it look adorable." Sephiroth's lips twitched.

Reno smirked and whispered, "I thought that _was_ pouting, kid."

Sora stared at the two with a grin of his own. "Fine then yes. I'm pouting. Do you two want a cookie for stating the obvious?"

"A cookie will make you feel better," Zack piped up. He nudged Sora on the arm. Kairi giggled, wondering how she was able to hear everything from where she was sitting, but she could, perfectly well at that.

"Food always does," Reno added. He took a sip of Sora's water after noticing his own cup was empty.

Sora shrugged and peered up on either side of him. "A cookie's no good without milk, just like any other pastry."

The two of them nodded. "So true," the two older employees stated. If Sephiroth could face palm, he would, but he kept a professional gaze, unlike Kairi. Genesis and Angeal took sips of their drinks to hide their smirks. Some second SOLDIER's were amused, and as usual, poor Riku was left out of the loop.

"Did you get that Sora?" the president asked.

Reno gave the man a lazy nod and placed some gum in his mouth. "He got it." He noticed Sora's adorable confused face and murmured, "You're assigned with Genesis, me, and some other guys. Think you can handle it?" He gave the kid some gum, and Zack since he held out his hand _so_ patiently –or was it the puppy eyes?

Sora's face brightened. "Yeah!" All eyes turned to him and he face palmed. "Sorry…" His face turned three shades of red when he met eyes with Sephiroth.

* * *

"I want to trade Genesis," Sephiroth told his friend as they sat in Zack's apartment.

Genesis shook his head. "You two have been all over each other since Sora's office adventure last week."

The general's face heated up. "Our business is our own."

Genesis bowed. "And the teen with many hickeys is proof of that, bravo. Tell me, how was the first date before you devoured the beautiful boy, hm?"

Angeal and Zack grinned, watching the pair, but their smiles faded once they saw Sephiroth's lips droop. Genesis, clearly intrigued by this, raised his eyebrow. "You… you've never went on a date with him, and you're_ already_ fucking him?"

"Genesis," Angeal scolded him.

The red head sighed. "Well it's the truth. I'm surprised Sora doesn't have any objections to this."

"He hasn't said anything on the subject," Sephiroth said.

"Neither did Misaki when Usagi-san did it in Junjou Romantica," Genesis stated in frustration. Everyone blushed upon hearing that.

Angeal crossed his arms and leaned against a wall. "But have you ever asked?"

"No," he admitted. "Should I?"

Genesis rubbed his temples. "Have I taught you nothing about keeping your significant other happy?"

"No," he said in a collected voice. "Although you do spout out Loveless every chance you get."

"He's doing good today though," Zack piped up. "Not one line uttered."

Sephiroth leaned back against the couch and propped his feet up on the table. "Yet…" He sighed. "I suppose it is selfish of me to–"

"Ravage his youth like he's some sort of fling instead of committing to the relationship?" Genesis asked.

The general rolled his eyes and rubbed his face. "Yes… Now stop avoiding the subject. Let's trade."

Genesis placed his finger on his chin and thought it over. "I'd rather not. I'd like to get to know him. He's my friend, and you've been hogging him. You're a Sora hogger."

"He's mine."

"Well I'm stealing him until you can decide what you really want. There's no sense in throwing Sora at you if you're still debating about whether or not you should take him on a date. It makes little sense to me."

Sephiroth didn't know what the strange feeling was when it came to Sora, that unique tug at his chest whenever he smiled, touched him, or walked away. The thought of taking Sora out in the open on a real date scared him, but… "Now's not the time to focus on relationships, not when we're going on a mission in a few hours." Even if he knew he could handle it without any problems.

His three friends nodded and agreed. "Genesis, please just make sure that he doesn't harm himself."

"I'll protect him with my life," Genesis assured him. "Reno won't disappoint either, as trifling as he is… He's a good Turk, for an arrogant idiot."

"You know Cloud's in your infantrymen unit, right?" Zack asked his superior.

Sephiroth shook his head. "I didn't, but thank you for informing me. It's not a problem Zack."

Zack frowned and balled his hands into fist. "I get that you and Sora have a thing, but if you slip up for one weak moment and try anything with my best friend–"

"I won't."

"I'm not joking around Seph," Zack said. They met eyes and the general nodded.

"Neither am I."

* * *

Cloud stepped out of his room and rubbed his shoulders. The idea of having to go on a mission with Sephiroth was uncomfortable, especially since he worshipped the ground he walked on. Walking down the hall, and not really noticing where he was wandering, he bumped into a petite figure.

This person had eyes that looked like a blue Mako, but weren't. This person had hair just as spiky as his, but unlike Cloud, his smile could brighten any dim lit room. This person was his enemy by default, however perfect he may have been.

This person was Sora.

"Sorry," Sora apologized, and took a step back. "I wasn't watching where I was going…"

A pregnant pause flooded around them as Cloud watched the innocent blush creep on Sora's cheeks. He started to smile, but shook his head. "No," he said in a quiet tone. "I wasn't watching either."

Sora, trying to be the bigger person, lifted his hand. "We've seen each other before, but we've never really introduced ourselves." He seemed nervous. "I'm Sora…"

To Cloud's own amazement, he shook the soft hand, holding his gaze with Sora and never letting go, even after Sora began to fidget.

"Hey Cloud!" Zack called from down the hallway. Their hands unlocked and Cloud stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Zack ran up behind him and patted him on the back. "I wanted to see you before –Oh hey Sora!" All three SOLDIER's walked around Zack. Sora started to step towards Sephiroth, but stopped, not knowing if it was appropriate, considering that the man cared about his reputation. Cloud noticed the hesitance, but turned to Zack anyway.

"Hey," he greeted him. "Generals…" They all gave him a firm nod.

The standoff between Sora and Sephiroth, although silent, was quite loud. You could practically hear Sora's eyes asking: Where do we stand?

And that was an excellent question, especially when Sephiroth's eyes, however emotionless they may have been, answered back with: I don't know.

Sora clasped his hands together and backed away. "Bye," he told them as he waved. He didn't wait for any of them to reply as he left to go prepare for departure.

Sephiroth watched him go and crossed his arms. He glanced at Cloud. "Have you packed all of your equipment yet?"

Cloud nodded. "Just got finished…" As he began to leave, he said, "Your new plaything's waiting for you to go after him. Are you just screwing with his head too?" The tone he used was cold and sickening. Zack gawked, but followed after his best friend.

As much as Cloud didn't want to admit, he wanted Sora to be happy, but he also wanted Sephiroth to realize that boys with blue eyes and spiky hair were just his fetish, nothing more. He knew that Sephiroth was incapable of loving. It was Sora's job to find out on his own, but Gaia knows the Hell he assumed Sephiroth was going to put him through to get it.

"Was that a jab at you or Sora?" Angeal asked.

"Apparently both," Genesis murmured. "But also a warning. I think even he notices."

Sephiroth looked at his PHS and paced off. "I don't have time for this."

Genesis sighed and followed after him. "Running away won't help."

"I'm not running. I'm walking at a steady past."

Angeal headed to Sora's room, deciding that someone needed to talk to the boy. He had just gotten to the door and was about to knock, until he heard sniffling. He lowered his hand and a grim look graced his features.

Sora was upset.

The mission was not going to go well, not at all.

* * *

**A/N: I'm doing some revising on some earlier chapters, and possibly this chapter too. Sorry for taking so long, but my minds been off in the land of the little people, riding unicorns, and chasing leprechauns to get meh pot o' gold. At the end of the rainbow I only got some skittles though :/ Anyways, it's mission time for the next chapter. Kh fans should be familiar with the Dwarf Woodland's. I wonder who's going to meet the old hag queen first?  
**


End file.
